Chrome's new feature can browse web, complete tasks for you
What's the story
Google has introduced a new "auto browse" feature in its Chrome browser, powered by the Gemini's artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The innovative capability is currently available for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US. It can perform multi-step tasks such as researching hotel and flight costs, scheduling appointments, filling out online forms, and managing subscriptions, among others.
AI evolution
Gemini's capabilities and integration with Chrome
Gemini, which started as an AI assistant for answering questions or summarizing webpage content, has evolved to perform more complex tasks. It can now compare products across multiple tabs and recall pages from your browsing history. The latest update also lets Gemini identify items in a photo you're viewing, search for similar ones online, add them to your cart while applying discount codes within budget limits.
Enhanced functionality
Gemini's for other Google services
Along with these capabilities, Google has also integrated Gemini into several of its services including Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Google Shopping, and Google Flights. This allows the AI to pull information from different apps you use and take actions within them. For instance, if you're traveling to a conference and need to book a flight, Gemini can find that old email with event details and provide recommendations based on context from Google Flights.
Upcoming features
Image editing feature and future plans
The new Gemini in Chrome panel also includes Nano Banana, Google's AI-powered image generator, letting you edit an image inside your window using a text prompt. Google has plans to expand Gemini's capabilities further as it competes with other agentic AI browsers such as OpenAI's Atlas and Perplexity's Comet. An opt-in feature called 'personal intelligence' will be added to Chrome in the coming months, letting Gemini reference past conversations and analyze data linked to Gmail, Calendar, Photos, and search history.